I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to reels or spools containing wire or cable. More particularly, the present invention relates to cable reels and reel housings or carriers that facilitate the shipment, transportation, dispensing, and installation of elongated wires and cables, particularly coaxial cable. Known prior art related to the reel carrier component of the invention is classified in United States Patent Class 242, Subclasses 588, 588.1, 588.2 and 588.3 and in Class 206 Subclass 389.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Reels are well known in the art for storing and dispensing a wide variety of wires, cables and coaxial cables. Coaxial cable is widely used in the satellite and cable television business for distributing wide-band signals to television apparatus and related accessories. Various other cables, including multi-conductor cables and fiber-optic cables, are widely used for Internet-related applications, and digital data transmission and distribution in conjunction with diverse computer networks, including local-area and wide-area networked systems. Wired computer networks are the backbone of the Internet.
Reels for storing wires and cables typically include a hollow, tubular core extending between spaced apart ends or flanges. In general, wire wound around the core is held in place by the flanges. Reels containing flexible media that are intended for industrial transport and storage vary greatly in size. Reels have traditionally been fabricated out of wood or metallic materials, and have more recently been fabricated from paper and plastic.
In the prior art, it is known to house coils of cable in boxes, and to manually pull selected lengths of cable out of the box. Wires and cables are conventionally wound around reels or “spools” that may be packaged in various forms of containers. A wide variety of prior art configurations exist. Traditional packaging methods such as cardboard, wood or metal are inefficient and non-standardized, and are bulky and heavy due to the typical packaging materials required for transportation and use. Boxes of cable are heavy and difficult to move around. Boxed reels also require the additional steps of removing tape or straps sealing the box before the cable can be removed. These problems are amplified by the fact that modern, large scale construction projects require large lengths of numerous cables of different types, thicknesses and characteristics. In large complex jobs, numerous boxes of various cables quite often end up haphazardly placed around the work site in a disorganized manner. Empty reels and packaging typically cannot be reused and have to be disposed of as waste.
It is known in the art to rotatably support wire reels within a portable enclosure that functions as a housing and carrying case. Such rotating reel assemblies include a reel that is rotatably connected to a frame within a box or generally parallelepiped enclosure. The rotating reel assembly permits the user to simply pull out the cable. Some designs include an axle that penetrates the spool and is rotatably coupled between suitable end points in the supporting frame that enable rotation. However, these arrangements often do not feed as well when the cable is pulled at an angle and they require that the axle be detached from the frame and withdrawn from the reel to remove and replace an empty spool. Typically, ends of the supportive spool axle are fitted within inexpensive frame cradles that enable rotation and function as inexpensive bearings. Such designs make it easier to remove the spools but, over time, the reliability and durability of the support cradle are compromised.
For example, as cable is drawn from conventionally designed spools, the spool tends to wear out the support cradles or bearings due to the weight of the cable and the minimal surface area contact between the spool and bearings. This can cause the spool to wobble or bind restricting wire or cable from being unwound. As wire or cable is removed from the spool there may not be sufficient friction to allow the spool to stop spinning, resulting in the spool “freewheeling” allowing wire or cable to unwind faster than it can be conveniently pulled away by the technician. This can result in cable tangles or spool misalignment. The installing technician must then waste potentially valuable time untangling cables and adjusting the spool or reel.
In the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 8,016,222 issued Sep. 13, 2011 discloses a wire or cable dispensing cart with several reels of cable in cartons. Cable is pulled through a slot in the carton's front panel. Preferably, left and right panels of the carton each have an arbor hole formed therein which receives an axial rod, the rod also extending through the reel and caddies. In one embodiment, cable may be pulled through one or more pass-through slots formed in the tops and bottoms of stacked containers, such that cable from multiple containers is drawn through one slot on the top of the stack.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,777 issued Feb. 25, 2003 shows a portable wire spool caddy that releasably holds a cylindrical spool while cable is unwound from the spool. An elongated frame includes first and second spaced apart ends, a plurality of parallel rods which each extend between and are connected to the first and second ends, and at least one movable rod which is generally parallel to the fixed rods which extends between the ends. The spool is retained between the movable rod and the fixed rods, and when the movable rod is in its second position the spool may be removed or inserted between the movable rod and the adjacent fixed rod.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,421 issued May 22, 2001 discloses a reel for supporting wound cables. The reel has a core, first and second flanges, and at least one locking ring. The core has first and second ends, an inner surface and an outer surface. The first flange, which attaches to the first end of the core, includes a first plurality of flexible fingers that extend axially inward the core adjacent to said inner surface proximate the first end. The second flange attaches to the second end of the core and includes a second plurality of flexible fingers that extend axially inwardly proximate the second end. The locking ring urges the first plurality of flexible fingers to the inner surface proximate the first end.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,621 issued Jul. 7, 1998 discloses a combination reel caddy and stand for cable spools of the type having a central drum and enlarged disk-like ends with central openings therein. The stand comprises a generally U-shaped handle portion having a curved end and elongated leg portions with the leg portions carrying stub spindle members adapted to be received in the spool disk. The spool can be rotated and lifted about the legs and then with the handle portion on the same surface as the ends of the stand legs the spool can be freely rotated for unwinding or winding cable therefrom.
Thus, a suitable reel caddy should be designed with considerations for transportation and storage of the reel caddy both with the reel loaded into the caddy and separately. The design should allow for minimal consumption of volume on pallets and in bulk shipping containers. Caddies and reels that can be efficiently stacked will reduce transportation and storage costs. A design that incorporates shipping into the reel and caddy can also reduce waste in unnecessary packing materials to stabilize and protect the reel and caddy in transit.
For instance if the reels have a shape and features that allow them to be stacked end-to-end vertically, and minimize wasted space when the stacks are combined on a pallet or in a shipping container, volume required for transportation and storage can be reduced. If the caddies can be stacked efficiently like the reels then a further reduction in transportation and storage costs results. An added benefit of a reel caddy designed and built in the manner is that shipping and storage damages is also minimized due to the stable configuration of the reel caddy during shipping.
In addition to the shape, if the reel caddy is designed and fabricated using durable, lightweight materials, more product can be transported more easily at lower cost, with less damage to the product. Cardboard boxes may be lightweight, but are not as durable as plastic and are susceptible to weather conditions. Wood or metal containers are strong and weather resistant but typically take up more space and weight more than plastic containers. Lightweight, durable plastic is an ideal material for a reel caddy for shipping, storage and day-to-day use.
A primary feature of a reel caddy is that it be perform the task of dispensing cable, wire or fiber at a work site and allow the installer or other user to perform their job efficiently and effectively. An installer typically carries all tools and cable in a vehicle. A reel caddy that can easily be stored and efficiently stacked in a vehicle is important. Installers may require multiple types of cable, wire or fiber, and may also carry multiple spare reels as well. So not only must the reel caddy itself be easily stored in a vehicle, the reels must also meet the same criteria.
Once an installer reaches a jobsite, all of the installer's tools and need to be moved to the location where work is being performed. The reel caddy must easily stack and remain stable on a dolly, handcart, or other carrying device two-wheel. Weight must also be minimized to help in transportation of the reel caddy. A reel caddy with matching interlocking tops and bottoms allows stacking of multiple caddies vertically in a stable column. A comfortable carrying handle is also a requirement to enable an installer to carry a reel caddy in each hand. Additional hand holds are desirable to allow the caddy to be lifted regardless of its orientation. Reels in cardboard boxes tend to tear and are harder to grip. The capability for the installer to easily open the caddy when needed, preferably with one hand, to install a reel or switch reels is desirable.
The reel caddy must provide a smooth flow of cable, wire or fiber from the caddy. The shape and position of the outlet is important in providing this feature. If the cable snags on the outlet, then the caddy or container could be dragged across the work site. The cable must feed freely regardless of the angle of pull from the mouth of the caddy. The reel caddy must also provide sufficient friction to stop the feed of cable from the caddy once the installer stops pulling. A reel that keeps spinning, or “freewheels,” in the caddy results in tangled cable that may require significant time to untangle so that the installer's work can continue. A reel caddy that includes a variable braking capability between the reel and bearing surfaces meets these criteria by providing greater braking friction when the reel is full, and reducing braking friction as the reel is emptied.
A reel caddy should also be stable and contain the reel in various positions, even upside down. A reel caddy that provides a secure latching mechanism and is designed to stabilize the reel and even feed cable or wire regardless of the orientation is desirable.
Installers may simultaneously install multiple types of cable and wire, pulling all cable and wire at the same time, so a reel caddy that can contain different types of cable and wire and can be stacked with interlocking feet on the bottom and indentions in the top makes this a simple task for the installer. To minimize reel replacement, a desirable reel caddy should be able to effectively contain as much cable as can be carried or transported around the work site easily, for instance one-thousand feet of RG-6 coaxial cable. It is important to be able to determine how much cable is left on a reel so that there is sufficient cable for a particular job, or so that an installer can insure that spare reels are available. A reel caddy that can be opened to allow full observation of the cable on the reel is essential. While visual inspection is important, electronic tools exist that can measure both the length and quality of cable on a reel. In order to use such an electronic tool, an installer must have access to both ends of the cable on the reel, making this access a critical feature of a reel caddy. Not to be overlooked is the ability to visually determine the type of cable on a reel. Even though the cable may be marked, access to the entire reel can usually make identification of the cable type easier than having to pull out sufficient cable to find the markings.
A work site is full of challenges for a reel caddy in that the caddy may be located on gravel, concrete, dirt or even in mud. The caddy may also be exposed to the elements such as rain, snow or direct sunlight and high heat or extreme cold. Undoubtedly a reel caddy on a work site will be banged, dropped, slid across the ground, and generally abused. It is critical for a suitable reel caddy to be durable enough to take the abuse, protect the cable, and continue to function effectively. The reel caddy must also protect the cable from the elements and maintain its integrity.
Features that help reduce the risk of theft are virtually non-existent in current cable deployment systems. An effective reel caddy should include features that help reduce theft but do not hinder use of the caddy. For example a reel including unique spindle keys that are matched between reel and caddy or unique to a particular user, reels with no through hole to prevent insertion of a common rod or pole as an axle, and color coded reels and caddies, are all desirable features.
An environmentally friendly reel caddy is desirable, ideally a solution that can satisfy multiple uses and can be reused, and that does not generate waste by requiring any significant packing materials for transportation or use. A suitable reel caddy should work with a wide variety of cable, wire and fiber types. The reel should have the capability to be respooled by the owner or by returning to the distributor. A reel caddy made of lightweight durable materials can reduce consumption of fuels in transportation. A reel caddy where the reel and caddy have been designed for efficient stacking to maximize stability, minimize damage, and minimize additional packaging material can reduce waste packaging material and reduce storage space requirements in transportation, storage, and on a work site.